Democrat Matt Castelli has claimed to protect gun rights after expressing support for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) anti-Second Amendment bills.
Castelli, Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) midterm election opponent, claimed in a campaign ad on October 4, “I’ll stand up for the rights of gun owners.”
But Castelli supported Hochul’s gun-banning legislation that a federal judge recently struck down. He has also said that he would support “robust red flag laws” if elected to Congress.
“To pass legislation to actually address this challenge. Right now, there’s urgency in order to make sure we’re in a position to keep our kids and our community safe,” said Castelli about Hochul’s proposed bills.
It appears Castelli is not a firm believer in the Second Amendment. A leaked email that surfaced last week from self-declared top organizer for Castelli, Brunswick Democrat Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Mann, claimed the issue of guns is an incredibly “tricky one” and that Castelli could not support a gun ban publicly because if he did, he “would absolutely lose.” The email also smears gun owners by mentioning the “base’s obsession with guns.”
“The issue of guns is an incredibly tricky one in this upstate district. I know a lot of us would prefer a stronger stance on guns, but he would absolutely lose if he took that stance…” Mann emailed to Democrat supporters.
When Castelli’s campaign was pressed by a voter about gun control, the campaign replied Castelli was “for gun control.”
“I can get back to you with the details. Like I said, I am just not too familiar with his stance on gun control. He is for gun control but I don’t really want to get into specifics because I don’t know them,” the staffer said.
Castelli is challenging Stefanik in New York congressional district 21. The district is rated R+8 by the Cook Political Report, and in 2018, when Cuomo/Hochul were on the gubernatorial ballot, they lost to the Republicans by 26 percentage points.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Castelli’s online list of endorsements omits any mention of Hochul, a notable political calculation. Castelli finally admitted he is endorsed by radical Hochul after refusing to tout the governor’s endorsement on his campaign website.
Hochul’s attacks on the Second Amendment are well documented. The New York governor recently created gun free-zones in the state. She has additionally passed many other gun control initiatives, such as banning the sale of AR-15s for people under the age of 21.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.